My Youth Began With Him

"Then… I saw her back…"

Qin Chu didn't speak; he just wiped the tears from Huo Mian's face gently.

"I saw many scars on her back… There are so many. It was a shocking sight."

Huo Mian's voice shook as if she was reliving the scene.

Qin Chu was not surprised. After all, Lu Yan had been a mercenary for years and couldn't remain unscathed.

Not long ago, she had been sieged in a cold storage room by Ian and his men and almost died together with them.

"Lu Yan is a mercenary and lives her life dealing with danger each day. When she fights with people, does a killing mission, and gets hunted down, she can't always get away unscathed," Qin Chu explained patiently.

"Honey, she's only 20 years old. In our country, girls at her age are in college and date boyfriends in pretty clothes or go out to have fun with their good friends. But Yan…" More tears gushed out.

"Honey, everyone has a different life… Lu Yan has her own life. Even though you two are sisters by blood, you live in two totally different worlds. You can't change the facts."

"I wish she was the firstborn, so I could live this life for her."

"But no one can live one's life again. I know you love Yan, but you can't change her life. Honey, you're smart. Don't you understand this simple fact?"

Soothing her, Qin Chu held Huo Mian tightly in his arms.

Meanwhile, Lu Yan finished her shower and changed into pajamas; then she went to the twins' room to play games with them until they fell asleep at midnight.

Changing into a black windbreaker, she packed some necessities and walked downstairs.

It was midnight and everyone in South Hill Manor had fallen asleep.

She didn't want to say goodbye to her sister since she didn't want to see her sister cry.

She didn't like crying or feeling soft-hearted.

She planned to leave silently and send a message to her sister when she was gone.

With a bag in her hand, she left through the back door without alerting the security guards at the gate.

Her subordinates remaining in the city picked her up and drove to the pier.

Standing behind a big tree near the house, Huo Mian cried silently, feeling heart-broken to see Lu Yan leave alone.

She wanted to give Lu Yan a good life but realized she was helpless and couldn't change anything.

"It's drafty here. Let's go back in."

Qin Chu draped a coat on her shoulders and walked her back to the bedroom.

Lu Yan left without a warning, as abruptly as she had come.

Su Yu knew nothing about it.

An got up in the morning and sent a message to Lu Yan but received no response.

The number he saved on his cellphone was the one that Lu Yan used in China temporarily.

Once she left, she would not log onto WeChat, for fear it would expose her whereabouts.

Receiving no response, An mustered his courage and dialed her number.

But no one answered.

Gritting his teeth, he called Huo Mian.

"President Huo."

"An, what's up?" Huo Mian sounded dispirited.

"Is Miss Lu Yan with you? She likes Lotus Leaf Rice Noodles, right? I saw a new restaurant had opened on Tianyi Road and its rice noodles are quite good. I wanted to ask her if she'd like to try it."

"It's not necessary. She left." Huo Mian sounded a bit tired.